foxgloves

in yards filled with pets or small children comes a caution about having these beautiful flowers nearby. foxgloves are very poisonous–that means, all parts of these plants and flowers. so, think twice about planting them. but, if you decide to have them in your garden, beware–as soon you will become addicted.

the botanical name for foxgloves is digitalis, and that is from the latin word for finger. so, the name refers to the finger-like shape of the flowers. foxgloves will grow in sun and part shade with very rich soil.

again, if you desire beautiful flowers—provide very good soil with nutrients. if the weather is dry, be certain to water these flowers foxgloves will self-seed, but are considered a biennial plant.

foxgloves grow very tall, so i place them near my fence for support. they want to face the sunshine, so they seem to direct their blooms away from the inside of my garden. i really like the look of these flowers and purchased two different varieties two years ago, so this year is my first set of blooms. last year, the green leafy plant grew, but no flowers.